Adjustable wagon-box.



PA LE ROY MARLAY' TENTED JAN. 17, 1905. ADJUSTABLE WAGON BOX.

1 A PLIOATION FILED JULY 20 1903 mflliliillmllllll j lll lllll II llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll ll lllllllllll ll Z5 7 gm mum J i'Q/vitueo oao 2 Patented January 17, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

LE ROY MARLAY, OF GALION, OHIO.

ADJUSTABLE wmaomeox.

SPECIFICATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 780,299, dated January 1'7, 1905.

Application filed July 20, 1903. Serial No. 166,316.

To all whom it may-concern:'

Be it known that 1, LE ROY MARLAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Galion, in the county of Crawford and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Wagon-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in adjustable wagon boxes or racks, and has in view the provision of a simple and practical form of adjustable supportingbracket arranged in connection with side rack-wings to adapt the wagon box or body for a variety of purposes such as a straw-rack, wood-rack, fodder-rack. hay-rack, potato-box, apple-box, corn-box, or box for grain of any kind besides forthe general purposes of a wagonbOX.

To this end the invention contemplates an improved type of supporting bracket arranged in a series at each side of the wagonbox in connection with the side rack-wings and so constructed as to be easily and quickly adjusted for setting the side rack-wings at any angle from the perpendicularto the horizontal, whereby the wagon-box can be instantly changed for all kinds of loading and unloading.

A further object of the invention is to provide a form of adjustable supporting-bracket wherein the parts are protected from mud and weather conditions, besides embodying means for rigidly holding the rack-wings locked in their set positions without possibility of becoming displaced through loosening of the fastenings in passing over rough roads with the load surging back and forth within the wagon-box.

\Nith these and many other objects in view, which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter more fully described, illus trated, and claimed.

The essential features of the invention for carrying out the objects above specified are necessarily susceptible to modification without departing from the scope of the invention;

5 but preferred embodiments of the latter are brackets shown set at an angle between the perpendicular and horizontal. Fig. l is a detail sectional view on the line L L of Fi 3. Fig. 5 is a similar view on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3.

Like refercnce-numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

In carrying out the invention no change is involved in the manner of mounting the wagon-box upon the running-gear, and in its general organization the wagon-box essentially consists of a body 1, con'iprising a bottom board or floor 2, the short upright sideboards 3, arising from the side edges of the bottom board or floor, and the end boards or gates at and 5, one of which (designated by the numeral 4) may have fitted, thereto the usual ladder (3 and the other of which boards or gates (designated by the numeral 5) may constitute the tail-board, which is removable and replaceable, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings.

The present invention involves, associating with the longitudinal side-boards 3, the folding side wings 7, designed to be moved to upright positions within the vertical plane of the side-boards 3 to form therewith a part of the wagon sides when employed as a box for general purposes and also designed to be swung out to various angular positions be tween the perpendicular and horizontal to convert the box into a rack for carrying hay or other materials. This adaptation of the folding side wings 7 necessitates the hinging thereof at the top edges of the side-boards 3, and this is accomplished through the medium of a series of adjustable supporting-brackets 8, arranged at the opposite sides of the wagonboX, as plainly shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. Any number of the adjustable supporting-brackets 8 may be employed at each side of the wagon-box, according to the length thereof and the reinforcement desired, and as all of the said brackets are duplicates a description of the construction of one will sufh'ce for the others. In the use of the adjustable supporting-brackets 8 it will of course be understood that the folding side wings 7, carried thereby, may consist of an imperforate board, as suggested in Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring particularly to the construction of the individual brackets 8, each of the same essentially consists of two members namely, a base member 9 and a swinging adjustable arm member 10, to which latter is bolted or otherwise suitably secured the folding side wings 7. In the preferable construction these bracket members are made of light sheet-steel bent to the required shape. In the form of bracket illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive,

of the drawings the base or stationary member 9 is of an approximate rectangular shape and essentially consists of a sheet-metal blank folded upon itself to provide an upright flat web portion 10, and at what may be properly termed its bottom and rear edges the blank is flanged outward to provide the right-angularly-disposed attaching-flanges 11, which receive the bolts or other fastenings for securing the base member of the bracket in the angle between the bottom board or floor 2 and the projecting end of a bottom cleat 12, a series of which cleats are arranged beneath the box-body in the usual manner and whose ends project beyond the plane of the sideboards 3 thereof, as plainly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The projecting ends of the bottom cleats 12 provide a rest upon which the bottom flanges of the base members 9 of the brackets are secured, while the upright rear edge flanges of said bracket members are bolted to the outer sides of the side-boards 3. In the preferable construction of the base member 9 of each bracket the flanged edges thereof are reinforced by a cap plate 13, having inturned edge flanges 14 seamed over the edges of the bottom and rear flanges 11 of the base member 9.

At the upper rear corner the base member 7 9 of each bracket is provided with apivot-ear 15, receiving the pivot 16 for pivotally connecting thereto one corner of the swinging adjustable arm member 10. In the preferred construction being described the swinging adj ustable arm member 10 is also constructed from a sheet-metal blank bent and stamped to form each side of the plane of the body thereof, and to which flange is secured the folding side wings T. In addition to the doubled supporting-flange 17 the blank from which the arm member is formed is extended from one side of the flange 17 to provide the parallel cheekpieces arranged in spaced relation to form a casing or housing part 18. This casing or housing part 18 constitutes a keeper element for receiving the web 10" of the base member 9 and working thereover in the adjustment of the arm 10 to different angular positions. By reason of the casing or housing 18 working over the web portion 10 of the base member 9 it will be obvious that the entire bracket is strengthened and reinforced,while at the same time the two members of the bracket are held in constant alinement at all times. Furthermore, the telescoping construction causes the upper or arm member of the bracket to serve as a complete covering for the lower or base member to protect the same from mud, rain,or dust in any position.

The web portions of both members of each bracket are provided with a series of adjustment-holes 19, struck on the arc of a circle, with the pivot 16 as the center and adapted to be brought into register to receive the fastening-pin 20, preferably in the form of a bolt-nut. It is obvious that the construction described permits the side wings T to be adjusted to any angle between the perpendicular and horizontal,according to the use of the wagon.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-

In an adjustable wagon-box, the combina tion with the side-boards and the folding side wings,of adjustable supporting-brackets each comprising a stationary base member consisting of a sheet-metal web flanged atits bottom and rear edges and provided with a reinforcing-cap thereat, a swinging adjustable arm member pivoted to the rear upper corner of the base member and consisting of a folded sheet-metal blank having a doubled supporting-flange and parallel cheek-pieces producing a housing part telescoping over the web of the base member, said web of the base member and the housing part of the arm being provided with a series of adjustment-holes designed to register, and a fastening-pin for locking the arm in its set position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

- LE ROY MARLAY. Witnesses:

EDITH D. GEEK, RUBY L. STOUGH.

IIO 

